BHQ Lum Tanto Sell-Off

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Sharperthansticks

Joined
Sep 19, 2017
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What's with the mass sell-off of the BHQ Lum Tantos? Did people buy them to resell them, or did they buy them, hold them, and think, "Crap. I have to get rid of this"?
 
Some have been saying they are larger than they thought, some have been saying QC issues, some want to flip, and some probably grabbed two knowing they would sell out, and are selling them for near cost+shipping in hopes of giving someone that missed them a second chance.

You know how sprint runs go. Some folks that want to keep them as users get them initially, some that want to flip them get some from release. Others that want them for users, or want to see how they actually look in hand will sit back and grab one when they can.
 
QC appears to be all over the map within this run. I had 2 (sold at original or less than original price), one was absolutely perfect, the other was extremely gritty and WAY off center. Centering issues, gritty pivots, loose lanyards tubes all seem to plague various specimens within this run. Not sure if it mattered, but of the two I received, the one that was free of QC issues arrived in a bubble plastic bag inside the box, where as the one with QC issues arrived in a much larger, non-bubble, thinner plastic bag inside the box. If these all came from the Seki factory, wouldn't they package them all the same way, especially for being such a limited run? Just an observation.
 
NJBillK said:
Some have been saying they are larger than they thought, some have been saying QC issues, some want to flip, and some probably grabbed two knowing they would sell out, and are selling them for near cost+shipping in hopes of giving someone that missed them a second chance.

You know how sprint runs go. Some folks that want to keep them as users get them initially, some that want to flip them get some from release. Others that want them for users, or want to see how they actually look in hand will sit back and grab one when they can.
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This just seems different from Red PM2 Mania (which I got caught up in, buying one at a very high price, only to have it sit in my drawer because I can't decide whether to sell it off or to use it); people arent selling the tantos for huge markups. I usually see peoplea selling the various sprint runs to make big profits, but that's not what is happening here, so your explanation of buyer's remorse sounds right.
 
This always happens with sprint runs. I mean look at the red PM2s (less recently) and DLC M4 Manix 2s (more recently).
 
I really think Spyderco should have went with Golden for this run. I'm not knocking Seki, but their Taichung and Golden sites achieve near perfect fit and finish 90% of the time.

One could only dream..
 
Sharperthansticks said:
This just seems different from Red PM2 Mania (which I got caught up in, buying one at a very high price, only to have it sit in my drawer because I can't decide whether to sell it off or to use it); people arent selling the tantos for huge markups. I usually see peoplea selling the various sprint runs to make big profits, but that's not what is happening here, so your explanation of buyer's remorse sounds right.
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Don't forget that the Lum isn't as common ad the Manix 2 or PM2. So it is entirely possible that some have bought it in hopes that it would be a smash hit, some have bought it since it was a sprint and wanted to get in on it, some intended t flip and now are trying to make their funds back since it isn't as popular.

There are so many variables that come into play, that this is why folks say not to get into knives to flip them.

Natural G10 is love or hate, I dislike it undyed, but love it dyed blue. HAP40 is similar, I like it, but I prefer M4. It may check some boxes for some folks, but that isn't enough to push me to drop $200+ on one. Especially after hearing about the QC issues...
 
In regards to the underwhelming secondary market prices: it's not too much of a surprise - people are wary of models with known quality control issues, and the design doesn't have the same kind of mass appeal that, say, a PM2 does. Also, the original price was a bit high for my tastes. Jade G10 and HAP40 combined with an American Tanto doesn't exactly make me jump at the "add to cart" button, especially at $200+.

This is kind of an unusual sprint, though, so it makes sense that it sold out quickly. I don't recall Spyderco previously re-issuing a discontinued and highly-desired model as a sprint run. What probably ruined it for many wasn't just the quality control, but that it was done in Jade G10 and changed one of the aspects of the original that was the most desirable: the blade steel.

Even still, I was surprised at how unremarkable the secondary markup has been, and how many quality control issues I have seen reports of. This has been unusual in a number of ways, but all of them make me glad I stayed away from this particular sprint.
 
Poor flippers, thought they were in on a sure thing and now the glitches have taken the wind out of their sails.

Could be a conspiracy by BHQ to hurt them.
 
^^^Conspiracy? I don't know, man. Sounds pretty far fetched.

Why would any reputable company collude with another reputable company to purposely put a bad product out there to "hurt" a group of paying customers?!

Was that just slanderous to be funny?
 
NinjaRyder0920 said:
QC appears to be all over the map within this run. I had 2 (sold at original or less than original price), one was absolutely perfect, the other was extremely gritty and WAY off center. Centering issues, gritty pivots, loose lanyards tubes all seem to plague various specimens within this run. Not sure if it mattered, but of the two I received, the one that was free of QC issues arrived in a bubble plastic bag inside the box, where as the one with QC issues arrived in a much larger, non-bubble, thinner plastic bag inside the box. If these all came from the Seki factory, wouldn't they package them all the same way, especially for being such a limited run? Just an observation.
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I was actually just thinking about this, i've noticed some came in the bubble wrap, mine included and was relatively free of any qc issues, and others in the larger non-bubble plastic, i'm sure we're just looking into it too much, but it is interesting.
 
Charlie Mike said:
One should never get in a frenzy over a production knife.
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Au contrair. Because of economy of scale, when one picks the *right* production knife, you get something fantastic for a brilliant price. Are there "better" knives than my Griptilian? Sure. But for the price, I'm thrilled with it. Then again, maybe I made your point for you, since I only love it with the custom scales. Then AGAIN, even with the "custom" scales (more like small batch production), it's still *far* cheaper than a custom--and it's cheaper than a small batch production knife, too.
 
It is most likely the result of uneven quality. Just go check the spyderco forum. I have been wanting a Lum tanto for a long time and was very glad BHQ ordered one up after a long thread on the home forum that went on for months, asking for one. Then it arrived and quality was not consistent. I get mine tomorrow (weather delayed today), and if it has problems, it'll go to spyderco for tuneup. I really do want one. If you were not that dedicated to the model, it makes sense to sell it if you got one that was not good enough for your tolerances, particularly if you tried to tune it yourself and failed. Nothing nefarious, just not what it could have been. FWIW the hap40 was an inspired and very good choice for this model, but if you are not into San Mai for a tanto then that might not matter at all to you. I am equivocal on natural G10, but that is BHQ's signature look on a dealer exclusive. That's all.
 
Sharperthansticks said:
Au contrair. Because of economy of scale, when one picks the *right* production knife, you get something fantastic for a brilliant price. Are there "better" knives than my Griptilian? Sure. But for the price, I'm thrilled with it. Then again, maybe I made your point for you, since I only love it with the custom scales. Then AGAIN, even with the "custom" scales (more like small batch production), it's still *far* cheaper than a custom--and it's cheaper than a small batch production knife, too.
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This is all a matter of perspective.

With production knives, it is not often the case that the blades are heat treated to their optimal levels, since most companies err on the side of caution and run them soft. Bumping up the toughness, while sacrificing edge retention or even the keen edge taking capability (to a degree).

While you may get a pretty good knife, or a sought-after model, whether it is one to get amped up over depends on the individual consumer, and their preferences.

Even within production knives alone, one who buys Shiros, Rocksteads, and other higher end knives, may not bat an eye at a run of the mill D2 710, or S30V PM2. But that is the beauty of knives. Those same 710 and PM2 may be someone's end all be all for a user knife.

Different strokes for different folks.
 
I received one of the Spyderco Lums this weekend as I must say that I too am a little underwhelmed. Mine is centered but has a little bit of lock-stick. I don't plan on keeping it long enough to see if the lock-stick goes away. Oh well, someone will get a nicely priced Sprint Run from Spyderco and I'll get my $200+ dollars back...win-win.
 
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